Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-09-29
STORIES OF PARROTS.
Amusing Stories Of u Number OF Inteiii.
gent aud Taikatlvs birds.

gent anu Thlkative birus.
Brchm. tho author of q German
work called "Thc History Of Ari-
mails" afllrms that parrots Of the
moro intelligent Indian and African
varieties havo not only been taught
many phrases which they repeat by
rotc. but that they have come TO un.
ierstand the meaning Of what they say.
and usc words independently In their
proper senses H. cites the case of m
East Indian parrot who learned
large number OF Dutch words in his
native country. Brought to Europe.
he learned q number Of German and
French words In Succession. He asked
for water. for food. for playtliings.
and for chance 10 get out OF his
cage, which was regularly allowed
him. Hc did not always use the Ger
man words for what he wanted, In
speaking to Germans. but some lines
substituted the Dutch words. In their
proper senses. No doubt good many
Of his native scrccchcs and gatherings
were put down rs dutch" by his
German masters.
Scaligcr tells Of parrot which imi.
tatcd the calls used in tho dances OF
the Savoyards. and repeated parts OF
their songs; and Jacques Bruno'. n
French writer. tells Of an African par.
rot who danced rs hc had seen the
people do, repeating rs he did so the
words Of their song: IA little s;cp!
A little jump! Ion! lon!'
Menault, another Frenclman Of sci-
cncc. tells of famous parrot, for
which Cardinal Bossa paid hundred
gold crowns because he rccltcd with.
ont blundcr the Apostles Crccl. and
chantc,l tho maqnifcat correctly.
The story is recorded in Enslsh an.
cctlotal collections, il not IN grave his.
tories. that parrot belonging to
Henry VIII. once fell In tho Thames.
and summoned passcrs-by 10 tho res.
cue by calling out "lIelp! Ilclp!'
Tho Iudan parrot of whom tic nc.
count is given by Brehm. wa' dc.
privcd OF its mistress by death. 1t re-
fused TO eat. and called outrcpca,cdly:
Where Is madam? Where Is mad.
amp" One Of the friends Of tic fam.
ily. an elderly Major. c. ra,ronizcd
tho parrot by saying TO him: Jump
on your perch. Jacko. there's good
birl; jump OH your pcrcli!" Jacso
looked rs him an instant, contcmp.u.
ously. and thon exclaimed. "Jump on
the perch, Major. jump on the pcrch!
Tho French traveller. La Barre. a
very serious aud careful wriicr. tells n
singular story Of an African parrot
called Chrysnstom by thu sailors on
board vessel which brough! La Barre
from Senegal TO Ffancc. Chryso,,om
had belonged to tho chaplain OF tho
ship. who had taught him prayer or
two. and n portion Of tho liturgy. On
the voyage tho chaplain died. and tho
bril- continued 10 repeat tho prayer
that had been taught him. The sail.
ors bestowed upon tho parrot The
namo OF "tho chaplain" and knclt
about his cage in rcvcrcnt manner
when tho bird repeated his prayer.
There Is another. and an unpleasant
side to this picture. however. In tho
fac. that "thc chaplain" learned some
OF the sailors oatlls. and added them
TO his liturgy. He also learned to call
himself by tho title Of "rhc chaplain"
and made such speeches rs this: "llad
your breakfast. Mr.. Chaplain' Oh.
yes; oh. yes. Mr. Chaplain wants o
cracker. Yes, ycs-for the chaplain.
Amen!'- You,hs Companion